Complex motion toothbrush

ABSTRACT

A detachable head for use with an electric toothbrush is provided. The electric toothbrush has a handle with a motor disposed therein at a first end of the toothbrush. The toothbrush also has a head at a second end, the head having a longitudinal axis, the head also having a first bristle holder with a plurality of bristle tufts and a second bristle holder with a plurality of bristle tufts. The motor is operatively connected to the second bristle holder to move the second bristle holder in a side-to-side direction with respect to the head. The motor is also operatively connected to the first bristle holder to oscillate the first bristle holder about an axis passing through the first bristle holder and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/929,288, filed Aug.30, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,124,461, which is a continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 10/676,955, filed Oct. 1, 2003, now abandoned,which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/367,373, filed Feb.13, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,413, which is a continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 09/993,167, filed Nov. 6, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No.6,725,490, the substances of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is related to the art of electric toothbrushes anddetachable heads therefore.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electric toothbrushes having one or more bristle holders are known inthe art. However, there is a continuing need to provide electrictoothbrushes which can provide improved cleaning by a synergisticcombination of a first bristle holder motion and the bristle tuftarrangements of the first and/or second bristle holders.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A detachable head for use with an electric toothbrush is provided. Theelectric toothbrush has a handle with a motor disposed therein at afirst end of the toothbrush. The toothbrush also has a head at a secondend, the head having a longitudinal axis, the head also having a firstbristle holder with a plurality of bristle tufts and a second bristleholder with a plurality of bristle tufts. The motor is operativelyconnected to the second bristle holder to move the second bristle holderin a side-to-side direction with respect to the head. The motor is alsooperatively connected to the first bristle holder to oscillate the firstbristle holder about an axis passing through the first bristle holderand generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may take form in various components and arrangements ofcomponents, and in various procedures and arrangements of procedures.The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferredembodiments, they are not to scale, and not to be construed as limitingthe invention.

FIG. 1 is a sectional bottom view of a toothbrush.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of part of the toothbrush ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional bottom view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an opposite side view of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are respectively the same views as FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 ofa different toothbrush and to a different scale.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of an enhanced toothbrush having a secondbristle holder. The toothbrush is shown in partial section.

FIG. 8A is a partial plan view of an embodiment of a toothbrush head.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along A-A in FIG. 8 of a firstembodiment of a toothbrush head portion.

FIG. 9A is a partial sectional side view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along A-A in FIG. 8 of a secondembodiment of a toothbrush head portion.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along A-A in FIG. 8 of a thirdembodiment of a toothbrush head portion.

FIG. 12 is a partial sectional view taken along B-B in FIG. 8 of afourth embodiment of a toothbrush head.

FIG. 13 is a partial sectional view taken along B-B in FIG. 8 of a fifthembodiment of a toothbrush head.

FIG. 14 is a partial sectional view taken along B-B in FIG. 8 of thefifth embodiment of a toothbrush head. A shaft is shown rotated to adifferent position than shown in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a partial sectional view taken along B-B in FIG. 8 of a sixthembodiment of a toothbrush head.

FIG. 16 is a partial sectional view taken along B-B in FIG. 8 of aseventh embodiment of a toothbrush head.

FIG. 17 is a bottom view of a head portion of a ninth embodiment of atoothbrush.

FIG. 18 is a partial sectional view taken along B-B in FIG. 8 of theninth embodiment of a toothbrush head.

FIG. 19 is a partial sectional view taken along B-B in FIG. 8 of a tenthembodiment of a toothbrush head.

FIG. 20 is a side view of a toothbrush showing a first exemplaryalternate bristle arrangement.

FIG. 21 is an end view taken along D-D of FIG. 8 showing a secondexemplary bristle arrangement.

FIG. 22 is a partial sectional view taken along B-B in FIG. 8 of asecond implementation of the fifth embodiment showing an alternate camdesign.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, in FIG. 1 the toothbrush comprises a handle10 at a first end of the toothbrush, a head 11 at a second end of thetoothbrush, a neck 9 extending therebetween, a rotatable shaft 12extending from the handle to the head, and a generally circular bristleholder 13 having a plurality of bristle tufts embedded therein, whereineach tuft 8 comprises a plurality of bristles. The handle providescompartments for holding an electric motor 14 and two batteries 15 and16, although a rechargeable power source can be substituted for thebatteries 15 and 16. A shaft coupling 17 is arranged to grip one end ofthe shaft 12 and allow the shaft to be pulled out for cleaning orreplacement as will be described below.

The head 11, as is better seen in FIG. 2, supports a post 18, whichprovides a rotational or oscillatory pivot axis 40 for the bristleholder 13. Bristles 19 are shown for illustrative purposes only in FIG.2. The shaft 12 has an integrally formed remote-most end 20 that isoffset from a central longitudinal axis 21 of the shaft. The remote-mostend 20 fits into a slot 22 (see FIG. 3) formed in a side of the bristleholder 13. It will be noted that the end 20 points towards anintersection of the first axis 21 and the pivot axis 40 of the post 18.In one embodiment, the post is arranged so that the pivot axis 40 issubstantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis 21 of theshaft. The pivot axis 40 is also substantially parallel to the directionin which the bristles 19 extend. While this arrangement is preferred; itis contemplated that the post 18 can be arranged differently. Forexample, the post 18 might be angled so that the pivot axis 40 is notsubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 21 of the shaft butrather forms an acute angle therewith in order to provide a wobbling orswiveling action about the pivot axis 40. When the shaft 12 is rotatedby the motor 14, the remote end 20 describes a circle about the shaft 12and drivingly engages the slot 22 to cause the bristle holder 13 tovibrate or oscillate about the pivot axis of the bristle holder 13. Inthis regard, the formed remote-most end 20 may be considered to be a camor a gear tooth. To vibrate is to move to and fro or from side to side.To oscillate is to move or travel back and forth between two points. Acam is a shaped component or potion of a component, which determines themotion of a follower. As may be seen in FIG. 3, slot 22 is closed-endedand extends radially inward from the outer circumference of the holderto less than the distance to the center of the holder and betweenadjacent pairs of bristle holes. Thus, the bristle holder 13 pivots,oscillates, or rotates forwards and backwards about the center of thepost 18. To pivot is to turn on or as if on a pivot. To rotate is toturn about an axis or a center. Such movement provides a first relativemotion between the head 11 and the bristles 19 and is generallybeneficial for efficient cleaning of teeth. The width of the slot 22 ispreferably generally the same as the diameter of the end 20 to leaveminimum play; this keeps noise to a minimum in use.

Preferably, the motor 14 runs at around 6000 rpm. Where desired, themotor can run at other speeds or be arranged to run at two or morespeeds, selectable by the user. FIG. 1 shows a toothbrush where theholder 13 vibrates, oscillates, or rotates through an angle of 30degrees. In FIG. 2, the angle is 35 degrees and in FIG. 5 the angle is15 degrees. It will therefore be appreciated that the rotational anglecan be chosen by fitting different shafts 12 and that the same bristleholder can be used for all angles.

Each bristle holder 13 may be provided with more than one slot 22 as maybe seen in FIG. 3, opposite each other so as to be better balanced or sothat different slots can be used if the one slot wears or if thebristles wear unevenly in use. In other words, the holder 13 can then beset up in two or more rotational positions. The holder 13 is preferableeasily removable from the head 11, by being spring clipped to the post18 for example. Such removal allows better cleaning and storing in ahygienic container perhaps and also enables the shaft 12 to be readilywithdrawn and replaced when required.

The described shafts 12 are preferably integrally formed, i.e., a singlelength of a thin rod and shaped as shown. However, it is possible toarrange for the remote end or can 20 to be separately formed or providedand fixed to a straight end part of the shaft or elsewhere on the shaft.Such a separate part can be a brush having a central axis coincidingwith the axis 21 of the shaft and an off-center driving post. Thedriving post then takes up the position and function of the remote endor cam 20. Thus, the driving post and the slot 22 then form the drivingengagement between the shaft and the holder 13 and so the driving postcan be regarded as the remote end of the shaft.

It is also possible, but not usually so convenient, in some embodimentsof the invention to arrange for the holder 13 to be hingedly pivoted atone side, for example opposite the shaft. In such a case, bristlesmounted nearer the hinged pivot will not actually move as much asbristles at the side next to the shaft but they will still vibratesignificantly.

It will also be appreciated that whether pivoted to rotate or to hinge,the bristle holder 13 need not be circular. However, a circular holder13 is normally preferred so that its rotational position can be changedwhen desired, as mentioned above.

While the above-described shaft arrangement is preferred, it iscontemplated that other shaft arrangements can be used with the presentinvention. For example, the arrangement described in U.S. Pat. No.5,732,432, the substance of which is incorporated herein by reference,might be substituted to accommodate mechanical misalignments of theshaft and mechanical strain during use. Further, the head 11 might beprovided in a form in which it can be readily detached from the handle10. This could be accomplished using, coupling arrangements for theshaft and body portion of the head. Such arrangements are known in theart. For example, the head and handle portions can include mating slots,spring clips, and protrusions and/or locking or securing tabs andgrooves. The shaft can be divided into two sections, each sectionincluding a coupling element. For example the coupling is achieved witha keyed arrangement. For instance, coupling elements can include maleand female mating splines affixed to respective shaft section ends, oras shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,601, the substance of which isincorporated herein by reference. Further, the slot 22 might be replacedby a wobble plate, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,743, thesubstance of which is incorporated herein by reference.

With additional reference now to FIG. 8-FIG. 18, embodiments of anenhanced electric toothbrush 810 include a first bristle holder 814similar to the bristle holder 13 described above. The enhancedtoothbrush 810 has a head 816 and a body or handle 817. Of course, theenhanced toothbrush includes a motor 819 and batteries for powering themotor. The head portion 816 has a longitudinal axis 818. The firstbristle holder 814 is illustrated as circular. However, other shapebristle holders are contemplated and within the scope of the invention.The first bristle holder 814 includes at least one slot as describedabove (see FIG. 3) for receiving a remote-most end or cam of a drivingshaft 820 as described in reference to FIG. 1-FIG. 7. The remote-mostend (see FIG. 3) of the driving shaft is bent or offset from a centrallongitudinal axis 21 (see FIG. 3) of the driving shaft 820 as describedabove. The motor 819 is operative to rotate the shaft 820. In short,with regard to the construction and operation of the shaft 820 inrelation to the first bristle holder 814, the enhanced toothbrush 810 issimilar to the toothbrush described in reference to FIG. 1-FIG. 7.However, embodiments of the enhanced electric toothbrush 810 alsoinclude second bristle holders disposed adjacent the first bristleholders, such as second bristle holder 822. While it is desirable tolocate the second bristle holder directly adjacent the first bristleholder, it is contemplated that a gap may be provided between the firstand second bristle holders. In addition, the space between the movablefirst and second bristle holders might be filled with stationary orfixed bristles which are embedded in fixed or stationary third bristleholder (not shown) which forms part of the toothbrush head. In manyembodiments of the enhanced electric toothbrush, the second bristleholders are movable and separately associated with, and separatelydriven by, a driving shaft such as the driving shaft 820. The movablesecond bristle holders are movable in directions and/or manners that aredifferent and distinct from whichever of the rotary or hingedly pivotedvibratory movements, described in reference to FIG. 1-FIG. 7, is used inthe particular embodiment.

For example, referring to FIG. 9, a second bristle holder 910 is movablymounted in slots 912 in the toothbrush head 816 and separately driven ina vibratory, side-to-side, motion in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis 818 by aneccentric cam 914 included on a driving shaft 918. The cam 914 and othercams described below can comprise one or more bends in the shaft 918, asshown for example, example in FIG. 9A and as seen in views of otherembodiments described below such as seen in FIG. 12, FIG. 13, and FIG.15. Alternatively, the cam 914 can be provided as a separate piece,which is attached to the shaft 918 by adhesive, a press or snap fit, aco-molding or any other mechanical or chemical means known in the art.Optionally, the driving shaft is supported by a shaft support 920. A camfollower 922 depends from a bottom surface 924 of the second bristleholder 910. The cam follower 922 is offset from a longitudinal axis 926of the second bristle holder. As the motor 819 of the enhancedtoothbrush 810 rotates the shaft 918, the cam 914 comes into contactwith a cam contact surface 928 of the cam follower 922 and drives thecam follower 922, and therefore, the second bristle 910 holder towardone side 930 of the enhanced toothbrush 810 and away from thelongitudinal axis 818 of the head portion 816. As the shaft 918continues to rotate, the cam 914 becomes disengaged with the camfollower 922. A resilient biasing member such as a spring 934, lodgedbetween a wall of the head portion 816 and a second surface of the camfollower, urges the cam follower 922, and therefore the second bristleholder 910, back toward the longitudinal axis 818 of the head portion816. As this back and forth or sided to side motion is repeated (as theshaft 918 continues to rotate), a sweeping or brushing motion isprovided that is distinct from and complimentary to the motion providedby the first bristle holder 814. The stroke and/or frequency of thesecond bristle holder 910 can be changed by varying the construction ofthe spring and placement and/or sizing of the cam 914 and the camfollower 922. For example, the cam follower 922 might be placed closerto the axis 926 to provide a shorter stroke for the cam follower 922, ora stronger spring might be provided to increase the rate of return ofthe second bristle holder 910 or more than one spring might be provided.Alternatively, the cam follower 922 might form an acute angle with thebottom surface 924 of the second bristle holder 910 or the first surfacecan be provided as accurate, curvilinear, or in other complex forms asopposed to the planar surface shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 10, in a second embodiment of the enhanced toothbrush810 a second bristle holder 1010 is movably mounted in slots 1012 in thetoothbrush head 816 and separately driven in a vibratory, swinging orpivoting motion about a hinge or pivot 1014, by a cam 1016 included on adriving shaft 1018. The cam 1016 can comprise one or more bends in theshaft 1018 or be provided as a separate piece as previously discussed.Optionally, the driving shaft is supported by a shaft support 1020. Acam contact surface 1022 is located on a bottom surface of the secondbristle holder 1010. As the motor 819 of the enhanced toothbrush 810rotates the shaft 1018, the cam 1016 comes into contact with the camcontact surface 1022 and drives or pushes the second bristle holder 1010causing the second bristle holder to swing or pivot about the hinge orpivot 1014. As the shaft 1018 continues to rotate, the cam 1016 becomesdisengaged with the cam contact surface 1022. During use, as the cam1016 comes in contact with the cam contact surface 1022, bristles of thesecond bristle holder 1010 are urged against the users teeth withgreater force. Preferably, bristles of the second bristle holder 1010are urged between the teeth of the user to provide a cleaning andflossing function. As the cam disengages with the contact surface 1022,bristles pressing against the teeth of the user urge the second bristleholder away from the users teeth. As this swinging or pivoting motion isrepeated (as the shaft 1018 continues to rotate), a flossing or deepcleaning motion is provided that is distinct from and complimentary tothe motion provided by the first bristle holder 814.

Referring to FIG. 11, in a third embodiment of the enhanced toothbrush810 a second bristle holder 1110 is movably mounted in slots 1112 in thetoothbrush head 816 and separately driven in a vibratory, lifting orvertical pulsating motion (e.g., in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis 1114 and substantially parallelto a surface 1115 of the second bristle holder 1110 as shown by the wayof example in FIG. 11) within the slots 1112, by a cam 1116 included ona driving shaft 1118. Optionally, the driving shaft is supported by ashaft support 1120. The cam 1116 can comprise one or more bends in theshaft 1118 or can be provided as a separate piece as previouslydiscussed. A cam contact surface 1122 is located on a bottom surface ofthe second bristle holder 1110. As the motor 819 (see FIG. 8) of theenhanced toothbrush 810 rotates the shaft 1118, the cam 1116 comes intocontact with the cam contact surface 1122 and drives or lifts, in avibratory, lifting, or vertical pulsating motion, the second bristleholder 1110 causing the second bristle holder to lift or pulsate in adirection away from the head portion 816 and toward the teeth of atoothbrush user (not shown). As the shaft 118 continues to rotate, thecam 1116 becomes disengaged with the cam contact surface 1122. Duringuse, as the cam 1116 comes in contact with the cam contact surface 1122,bristles of the second bristle holder 1110 are urged against the usersteeth with varying degrees of force. Preferably, bristles of the secondbristle holder 1110 are urged between the teeth of the user to provide acleaning and flossing function. As the cam disengages with the contactsurface 1122, bristles pressing against the teeth of the user urge thesecond bristle holder away from the users teeth and back toward the headportion 816. As this lifting or vertical pulsating motion is repeated(as the shaft 1118 continues to rotate), a flossing or deep cleaningmotion is provided that is distinct from and complimentary to the motionprovided by the first bristle holder 814.

Referring to FIG. 12, in a fourth embodiment of the enhanced toothbrush810 a second bristle holder 1210 is movably mounted in slots (not shown,but similar to the slots 912 illustrated in FIG. 9) in the toothbrushhead 816 and separately driven in a reciprocating or translating,longitudinal motion within the slots by a cam 1216 included on a drivingshaft 1218. Optionally, the shaft is supported by shaft supports 1217.The shaft supports may include C or U shaped portions (not shown) thatare operative to receive and snap around the shaft. Other means forretaining a shaft in a support are known in the art. The cam 1216 cancomprise a shaped bead, with an appropriate eccentric configuration,placed or molded over and firmly secured to the shaft 1218. In oneembodiment, the cam 1216 includes a pair of acutely angled surfaces1219, 1220 which are inclined in the same direction and at the sameangle of inclination, but which are disposed at opposite ends of the cam1216. The direction of inclination and angle of inclination can bevaried as desired to change the frequency and stroke of the secondbristle holder 1210. First 1222 and second 1226 cam followers dependfrom a bottom surface of the second bristle holder 1210. The camfollowers 1222, 1226 are offset or spaced from a transverse axis 1230 ofthe second bristle holder. The cam followers 1222, 1226 straddle and/orcapture the cam 1216 so that the angled surfaces 1219, 1220 slidablyengage the free ends of the cam followers 1222 and 1226. As the motor819 (see FIG. 8) of the enhanced toothbrush 810 rotates the shaft 1218,the first acutely angled surface 1220 of the cam 1216 comes into contactwith a surface of the first cam follower 1222 and drives the camfollower, and therefore, the second bristle holder 1210, away from thefirst bristle holder 814 along the longitudinal axis 818 of the headportion 816. As the shaft 1218 continues to rotate, the cam 1216 becomesdisengaged with the first cam follower 1222. The second acutely angledsecond surface 1219 of the cam 1216 then comes into contact with asurface of the second cam follower 1226 and drives the second camfollower 1226, and therefore, the second bristle holder 1210, backtoward the first bristle holder 814. As this back and forth motion isrepeated (as the shaft 1218 continues to rotate), a scrubbing action isprovided by the reciprocating or translating motion that is distinctfrom and complimentary to the motion provided by the first bristleholder 814.

Referring to FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, in a fifth embodiment of the enhancedtoothbrush 810 a second bristle holder 1310 is movably mounted in slots(not shown, but similar to the slots 912 illustrated in FIG. 9) in thetoothbrush head 816 and separately driven in an reciprocating ortranslating, longitudinal motion, by a cam 1316 included on a drivingshaft 1318. Optionally, the shaft is supported by shaft supports 1317.The shaft supports may include C or U shaped portions (not shown) thatare operative to receive and snap around the shaft. Other means forretaining a shaft in a support are known in the art. The cam 1316 issinusoidal or curvilinear in nature in that it has one or more adjacentarcuate bends 1319 and 1320 in the shaft 1318. The arcuate bends 1319,1320 have each have an apex 1321, and the apexes 1321 are disposed onopposite sides of the driving shaft 1318. A cam follower 1322 dependsfrom a bottom surface 1323 of the second bristle holder 1310 and isdisposed between the apexes 1321 of the cam 1316. As the motor 819 ofthe enhanced toothbrush 810 rotates the shaft 1318, a first surface 1325of the cam 1316 comes into contact with a first surface 1324 of the camfollower 1322 and drives the cam follower 1322, and therefore, thesecond bristle holder 1310 away from the first bristle holder 814 in adirection along the longitudinal axis 818 of the head portion 816. Asthe shaft 1318 continues to rotate, the apex 1321 passes and becomesdisengaged with the first cam follower surface 1324. A second surface1326 of the cam 1316 then comes into contact with a second surface 1426of the cam follower 1322 and the drives the cam follower 1322, andtherefore, the second bristle holder 1310 back toward the first bristleholder 814. As this back and forth motion is repeated (as the shaft 1318continues to rotate), a scrubbing action is provided by thereciprocating or translating motion that is distinct from andcomplimentary to the motion provided by the first bristle holder 814.The stroke and frequency of the reciprocating or translating motion canbe varied by changing the spacing between the apexes and/or theamplitude, shape, or height of the apexes.

Referring to FIG. 15, in a sixth embodiment of the enhanced toothbrush810, a second bristle holder 1508 is movably mounted to the toothbrushhead 816 with a pivot 1510, which can be provided in the form of a pinor hinge. The pivot 1510 is installed at a centrally located transverseaxis of the second bristle holder 1508. In one embodiment, the secondbristle holder 1508 pivots about a pin, which is anchored in thesidewalls of the toothbrush neck or head 816 at the midpoint of thesecond bristle holder 1508. The second bristle holder 1508 is separatelydriven in a vibratory, swinging, teetering or rocking motion by a camcomprised of first 1512 and second 1514 cam portions included on adriving shaft 1518. Optionally, the shaft is supported by shaft supports1519. The shaft supports may include C or U shaped portions (not shown)that are operative to receive and snap around the shaft. Other means forretaining a shaft in a support are known in the art. The cam portions1512, 1514 can comprise one or more rectilinear, curvilinear, or otherbends in the shaft 1518. As is illustrated in FIG. 15 the first camportion 1512 is located adjacent a first side of the pivot and thesecond cam portion 1514 is located adjacent a second side of the pivot.The second cam portion 1514 can comprise a portion of the remote-mostend or cam (not shown but similar to the remote-most end or cam 20 ofFIG. 3) of the shaft 1518. First 1520 and second 1522 cam contactsurfaces are located on a bottom surface of the second bristle holder1508. As is the case with all the described embodiments, the amplitudeor height of the bends or eccentricities that make up the first andsecond cam portions 1512, 1514 are large enough reach the related camcontact surface(s) and to drive the second bristle holder a desireddistance toward, into, across or along a toothbrush users teeth.Changing the distance between the apexes and the pivot point can varythe required amplitude or height. Changing the distance between theapexes and the pivot point may affect a required or desired torquedelivered by the motor 819. As the motor 819 of the enhanced toothbrush810 rotates the shaft 1518, the first cam portion 1512 comes intocontact with the first cam contact surface 1520 and drives or lifts(relative to the figure) a first end 1530 of the second bristle holder1508 causing the first end 1530 to rock or move about the pivot 1510 ina direction away from the head portion 816 and toward the teeth of atoothbrush user (not shown). This action lowers a second end 1526 of thesecond bristle holder back toward the head portion 816. As the shaft1518 continues to rotate, the first cam portion 1512 becomes disengagedwith the first cam contact surface 1520 and the second cam portion 1514engages the second cam contact surface 1522. The second cam portion 1514drives or lifts (relative to the figure) the second end 1526 of thesecond bristle holder 1508 causing the second end 1526 to rock or moveabout the pivot 1510 in a direction away from the head portion 816 andtoward the teeth of the toothbrush user. This action lowers a first end1530 of the second bristle holder back toward the head portion 816.During use, as the first and second cam portions 1512, 1514 alternatelycome in contact with the first and second cam contact surfaces 1520,1522, bristles of the second bristle holder 1508 are urged against teethof the user with varying degrees of force. Preferably, bristles of thesecond bristle holder 1508 are urged between the teeth of the user toprovide a cleaning and flossing function. As the rocking or pivotingmotion is repeated (as the shaft 1518 continues to rotate), a flossingor deep cleaning motion is provided that is distinct from andcomplimentary to the motion provided by the first bristle holder 814.

Referring to FIG. 16, in a seventh embodiment of the enhanced toothbrush810 a second bristle holder 1608 is movably mounted to the toothbrushhead 816 with a pivot 1610, which can be provided in the form of a pinor of a hinge installed at a transverse axis of the second bristleholder 1608. In one embodiment, the second bristle holder 1608 pivotsabout a pin, which is anchored in the sidewalls of the toothbrush neckat the midpoint of the second bristle holder 1608. The transverse axisis, for example, adjacent to a first end 1612 of the second bristleholder 1608. The second bristle holder 1608 is separately driven in avibratory, swinging, pivoting or rocking motion by a cam 1614 includedon a driving shaft 1618. Optionally, the shaft is supported by shaftsupports 1619. The shaft supports may include C or U shaped portions(not shown) that are operative to receive and snap around the shaft.Other means for retaining a shaft in a support are known in the art. Thecam 1614 may be a portion of a remote-most end of the shaft 1618 (notshown but similar to the remote-most end or cam 20 of FIG. 3). The cam1614 can comprise one or more bends in the shaft 1618. For example, thebends can be rectilinear, curvilinear or other kinds of bends. A camcontact surface 1622 is located on a bottom surface of the secondbristle holder 1608 adjacent to a second end 1626 thereof. As the motor819 of the enhanced toothbrush 810 rotates the shaft 1618, the cam 1614comes into contact with the cam contact surface 1622 and drives or lifts(relative to the figure) the second end 1626 of the second bristleholder 1608 causing the second end 1626 of the second bristle holder1608 to rock or move about the pivot 1610 in a direction away from thehead portion 816 and toward the teeth of a toothbrush user (not shown).As the shaft 1618 continues to rotate, the cam 1614 becomes disengagedwith the cam contact surface 1622. During use, as the cam 1614 comes incontact with the cam contact surface 1622, bristles of the secondbristle holder 1608 are urged against teeth of the user with a varyingdegree of force. Preferably, bristles of the second bristle holder 1608are urged between the teeth of the user to provide a cleaning andflossing function. As the cam disengages with the contact surface 1622,bristles pressing against the teeth of the user urge the second bristleholder away from the users teeth and back toward the head portion 816.As this swinging or pivoting motion is repeated (as the shaft 1618continues to rotate), a flossing or deep cleaning motion is providedthat is distinct from, and complimentary to, the motion provided by thefirst bristle holder 814.

Referring to FIG. 17 and FIG. 18, in a eighth embodiment of the enhancedtoothbrush 810 a second bristle holder 1810 is movably mounted in slots1812 in the toothbrush head 816 and separately driven in a reciprocatingor translating, transverse motion within the slots 1812 by a cam 1816included on a driving shaft 1818. The cam 1816 can comprise anappropriately shaped bead placed over or molded and fixedly secured tothe shaft 1818. For example, the bead is shaped as and eccentric cam.Alternatively, the cam can include one or more rectilinear, curvilinearor other kind of bend. First 1822 and second 1826 cam followers dependfrom a bottom surface of the second bristle holder 1810. The camfollowers are, for example, offset from the longitudinal axis 818 of thesecond bristle holder and straddle or capture the cam 1816. As the motor819 (see FIG. 8) rotates the shaft 1818, the cam 1816 comes into contactwith a surface 1821 of the first cam follower 1822 and drives the firstcam follower 1822, and therefore, the second bristle holder 1810 awayfrom a first side 1828 of the head portion 816 along a transverse axis1830 of the head portion 816. As the shaft 1818 continues to rotate, thecam 1816 becomes disengaged with the first cam follower 1822. The cam1816 then comes into contact with a surface 1825 of the second camfollower 1826 and drives the second cam follower 1826, and therefore,the second bristle holder 1810 back toward the first side 1828 of thehead portion 816. As this back and forth or side to side motion isrepeated (as the shaft 1818 continues to rotate), a sweeping motion isprovided that is distinct from and complimentary to the motion providedby the first bristle holder 814.

Referring to FIG. 19 in a ninth embodiment of the enhanced toothbrush810 a second bristle holder 1910 is movably mounted in slots (not shown)in the toothbrush head 816 and separately driven in an reciprocating ortranslating, longitudinal motion, by a cam 1916 included on a drivingshaft 1918. The cam 1916 can comprise a shaped bead, with an appropriateconfiguration, placed or molded over and firmly secured to the shaft1918. The cam 1916 includes a reversing spiral or helical groove 1920.The spiral or helical groove extends around a circumference of the beadand spirals about a longitudinal axis of the bead. For example, thelongitudinal axis coincides with the shaft 1918. A cam follower 1922depends from a bottom surface 1923 of the second bristle holder 1910.The cam follower 1922 is slidingly received within the spiral groove1920. As the motor 819 of the enhanced toothbrush 810 rotates the shaft1918, a first surface 1924 of the spiral groove 1920 comes into contactwith a first surface 1925 of the cam follower 1922 and drives the camfollower 1922, and therefore, the second bristle holder 1910 away fromthe first bristle holder 814 along the longitudinal axis 818 of the headportion 816. As the shaft 1918 continues to rotate, the cam follower1922 reaches an apex 1926 of the spiral groove 1920 and the firstsurface 1924 of the spiral groove 1920 becomes disengaged with the firstcam surface 1925. A second surface 1928 of the spiral groove 1920 thencomes into contact with a second surface 1930 of the cam follower 1922and drives the cam follower 1922, and therefore, the second bristleholder 1910 back toward the first bristle holder 814. As this back andforth motion is repeated (as the shaft 1918 continues to rotate), ascrubbing motion is provided that is distinct from and complimentary tothe motion provided by the first bristle holder 814. Optionally cam 1916is eccentrically mounted on the shaft 1918 and the longitudinal axis ofthe head or cam 1916 does not coincide with the shaft 1918. In thiscase, if the cam follower 1922 is made long enough to ride on the bottomof the spiral groove 1920, a lifting or vertical pulsing force isprovided to the second bristle holder as the eccentrically mounted cameis rotated by the shaft. Alternately, or additionally, the depth of thegroove is varied. The variation in depth provides lifting or verticalpulsing forces to the cam follower and therefore to the second bristleholder. In either case, the second bristle holder is made to pulsatevertically in addition to the reciprocating or translating motion. Thespiral groove may be replaced with a groove that cycles back and forthalong the longitudinal axis of the bead several times as it circles thebead. This sort of groove can be used to increase the reciprocatingfrequency of the second bristle holder.

With the embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated forsimplicity with bristles, which extend in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis 818 and the surface (for examplesee 1115 of FIG. 11) of the bristle holders, it is contemplated that thebristles might be arranged differently to complement or further enhancethe motions of the first and/or second bristle holders. Referring toFIG. 20, some or all of the bristles might extend in a direction whichforms an acute angle 2008 to a surface 2006 of the bristle holder andextends in a direction toward or away from the handle, such as shown byway of example in FIG. 20 with respect to bristles 2010 and 2014respectively. Referring to FIG. 21, in another embodiment, some of thebristles might extend outwardly away from head, in another direction,again forming an acute angle 2108 with respect to the surface of thebristle holder, as shown by way of example in FIG. 21 with respect tobristles 2110 and 2114. Massaging bristles or bristles of varying heightmight also be used, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 330,286,Des. 434,563, the substances of which are incorporated herein byreference. Other preferred bristle arrangements suitable for use includethose arrangements described in whole or part in U.S. Pat. Nos.6,006,394; 4,081,876; 5,046,213; 5,335,389; 5,392,483; 5,446,940;4,894,880; and international publication no. WO 99/23910; the substancesof which are incorporated herein by reference.

The described embodiments have been described with certain words andphrases that attempt to describe certain motions. Motion can either beconstant or vibratory. One example of a constant motion is simplerotation where an element angularly moves in a single direction (e.g., abristle holder which only rotates clockwise or swivels clockwise in acone like envelope) or translates in a single direction. Vibration isany periodic movement having repeated cycles. Vibratory motion can haveone or more frequencies and amplitudes. Vibratory movement which issubstantially linear is referred to herein as a reciprocating motion.Reciprocating motion can occur in a number of directions, such assubstantially horizontal, substantially vertical (i.e., a lifting orpulsating motion), and combinations thereof. Vibratory movement which issubstantially rotational in nature is referred to herein as anoscillatory or pivoting motion.

Because most motions can be complex in nature (i.e., include elements ofother types of motion), the use of the above-described terms herein caninclude other motions, unless stated otherwise (e.g. reciprocates only),in addition to the basic or primary motion described by the term. So,for example, a motion which is described herein as reciprocating mayalso include other vibratory or constant movements even though theprimary movement is reciprocatory in nature.

The invention has been described with reference to particularembodiments. Modifications and alterations will occur to others uponreading and understandings this specification. For example, whilecertain have been described as comprising bends in a shaft and othercams have been described as including appropriately shaped beads securedto a shaft, the cams are not limited to the suggested form. Indeed,bends may be substituted for beads and beads may be substituted forbends. For example, FIG. 22 illustrates a tenth embodiment that issimilar to the fifth embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14. However,in the tenth embodiment the cam 2216 is formed as an appropriatelyconfigured complex bead fixedly placed or co-molded over the shaft 2218.The cam 2216 provides shapes 2218, 2220 with surfaces that serve anequivalent purpose to the arcuate bends 1319, 1320 described inreference to the fifth embodiment. Where first and second cam portionsor surfaces are described or referenced, the portions or surfaces can beconsidered to be or implemented as separate cams. Where cams or camportions are illustrated with one eccentricity or bent shape, multipleeccentricities or bent shapes may be included. Each added eccentricityor bent shape would increase the frequency with witch the relatedbristle holder vibrates, pulses, pivots, swivels, rocks, oscillates,reciprocates or translates. Additionally, where multiple eccentricitiesare included, they may be of varying amplitude, thereby providingvarying bristle holder movement amplitudes. It is intended that all suchmodifications and alternations are included insofar as they come withinthe scope of the appended claims or equivalents thereof.

All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, inrelevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of anydocument is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior artwith respect to the present invention.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in theart that various other changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is thereforeintended to cover in the appended claims all such changes andmodifications that are within the scope of this invention.

1. An electric toothbrush, comprising: a handle at a first end of thetoothbrush having a motor disposed therein; a head at a second end ofthe toothbrush, the head having a longitudinal axis, the head having afirst bristle holder with a plurality of bristle tufts and a secondbristle holder with a plurality of bristle tufts, each of the bristletufts of the first and second bristle holders having a base endconnected to its respective bristle holder and an opposite free end; themotor is operatively connected to the second bristle holder to move thesecond bristle holder to linearly reciprocate in a side-to-sidedirection with respect to the head, wherein the base ends of the tuftsof the second bristle holder move in unison and in the same directionwith the free ends thereof, and wherein the motor is operativelyconnected to the first bristle holder to oscillate the first bristleholder about an axis passing through the first bristle holder andgenerally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head; and arotatable shaft having a longitudinal axis and operatively connected tothe motor, wherein the shaft engages the first and second bristleholders, wherein the shaft further comprises a cam, and wherein theengagement between the shaft and the second bristle holder occursbetween the cam and the second bristle holder.
 2. The electrictoothbrush of claim 1, wherein the second bristle holder is moved in adirection substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thehead.
 3. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the second bristleholder comprises first and second cam followers that capture the camsuch that the engagement between the cam and the second bristle holderoccurs between the cam and the first and second cam followers.
 4. Theelectric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the engagement between the shaftand the first bristle holder occurs between a second cam and the firstbristle holder.
 5. The electric toothbrush of claim 4, wherein the firstbristle holder has a slot that captures the second cam such that theengagement between the second cam and the first bristle holder occursbetween the second cam and the slot.
 6. The electric toothbrush of claim5, wherein the second cam is at a remote-most end of the shaft.
 7. Theelectric toothbrush of claim 4, wherein the second cam is secured to theshaft.
 8. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the cam is securedto the shaft.
 9. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, further comprisinga gap between the first bristle holder and the second bristle holder.10. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the axis passing throughthe first bristle holder is surrounded by the plurality of bristles ofthe first bristle holder.
 11. The electric toothbrush of claim 1,wherein the plurality of bristle tufts of the second bristle holderdiffer in height.
 12. The electric toothbrush of claim 11, wherein thesecond bristle holder further has a top surface, and wherein at leastone of the bristle tufts of the second bristle holder forms an acuteangle with the top surface of the second bristle holder.
 13. Theelectric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the shaft completely passesunder the second moving bristle holder and does not completely passunder the first bristle holder.
 14. The electric toothbrush of claim 1,wherein the head directly supports the first and second bristle holders.15. The electric toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the head furthercomprises at least one slot and wherein the second bristle holder ismoveably mounted in the at least one slot.
 16. The electric toothbrushof claim 1, wherein the first bristle holder further comprises a topsurface and wherein some of the plurality of bristle tufts of the firstbristle holder form an acute angle with the top surface of the firstbristle holder.
 17. The electric toothbrush of claim 16, wherein theplurality of bristle tufts of the first bristle holder differ in height.